Local Area Coordination - Autumn 2016 Update

Local Area Coordination - Autumn 2016 Update

Cally Boardman, Little Waldingfield Local Area Coordinator

As Local Area Coordinator for villages around Sudbury, Cally is a single, local point of contact, working with people of all ages with mental health conditions, physical disabilities, learning disabilities and older people. Local Area Coordinators support individuals to achieve their vision for a good life and, in doing so, improve their resilience, and reduce demand for high cost, long-term services.

Cally takes time to build relationships and get to know people, supporting their vision for a good life, developing their plans for achieving this and identifying their gifts, strengths, and skills. Together, Local Area Coordinators and the people they work with find practical, non-service ways to move towards a person's vision of a good life and build on someone's connections with their family, friends, and community. Local Area Coordinators support people to access appropriate voluntary sector agencies and, as a last resort, appropriate statutory services. They contribute to building inclusive communities by encouraging and forming connections between people and building on what local businesses, community, voluntary and third sector organisations have to offer.

Having started as a Local Area Coordinator towards the end of 2015, Cally has been working with local people, with their families and carers, on their vision for a good life. As the person drives the decisions and plans, drawing on their interests, gifts and skills, each relationship and the actions taken are different and personalised. Some of the many things worked on together include:

Finding activities for local children, including those suitable for children with learning or physical disabilities. Introductions have been made between group leaders and families to ensure suitability and a smooth transition. Links have been made with sources of funding so that the block of not being able to afford a uniform or kit has been removed

Exploring how adults can reduce feelings of isolation by engaging in more social opportunities and sharing their interests. Key to this is the good local knowledge held by the Coordinator, so that it's not a case of sign-posting - just providing then ‘when & where' information - rather that the Coordinator has visited the group, talked with its members and organisers so can use this good knowledge to really inform people and support them to make choices

Accompanying a person, where relevant, to an activity. This might enable the person to feel more confident about attending and to engage in a social, community activity that they might otherwise be unsure about

Advocacy can also be a key part of supporting someone to move towards their vision for a good life and has been provided for people at meetings with their employers, at DWP and Citizens Advice sessions and at physical health and mental health appointments

All the time working with someone to look at the whole picture of their life, the changes they want to make and planning together to make these changes, at a pace to suit the person

Introductions continue to come from a wide range of sources: friends & neighbours; parish, district and county councillors and officers; members of the clergy; community and voluntary organisations; members of local groups; staff in care homes; pharmacists and other healthcare practitioners; adult and children's social workers; mental health practitioners; the police, and many introductions have come from people themselves. People we are already working with are also introducing us to their friends, neighbours, and family members.

The Local Area Coordinators continue to build their networks by attending local events and meeting with charities, voluntary groups, and services, continuing to develop knowledge of what is available in the community. The also attend multi-agency meetings and continue to work closely with colleagues in the Babergh Mid Suffolk District Council Communities Team and other partners.

For more information or to make an introduction, please contact the Local Area Coordinator for your area: